there for you
by RenegadeDescendance
Summary: Dave comes down with the stomach flu. Bro takes care of his little brother. NOT STRIDERCEST. Merely brotherly fluff. Rated T to be safe. Contains some puke-related grossness, but nothing too graphic.
1. Just Relax, Lil Bro

_Okay, this is my first time writing fanfiction! It's kind of new to me, and Dave's character is a little hard for me to write. I would REALLY appreciate critiques/reviews! _

_Anyway, this was an idea I had the other night and I just had to write it down, it just seemed like such a cute scenario. I actually wrote two different versions of this, just let me know in the reviews if I should post the other. Okay, enough of my rambling._

_Enjoy!_

**Title: Stomach Flu**

**Dave Age: 11**

**-start fic-**

Dave was sleeping fitfully.

His dreams seemed too fast-paced, and were making him dizzy. His hands twitched, and he rolled to his side, waking himself up.

It took him a moment to realize that it had been a dream. Once he'd come back to reality, he turned his slightly aching head to look at his clock.

8 am. Fuck.

Why was he up so early? He usually didn't wake up 'til at _least_ two hours later than that. He realized he couldn't go back to sleep, and laid still for a few minutes. His body felt heavy and he felt a little dizzy. Bro must have been out early at the gym like he always was on Saturday mornings, because Dave didn't hear the TV running.

A few more minutes passed relatively the same, with him trying to shake the dizzy and weak feelings, and failing to. And just to make things worse, he began feeling nauseous.

He sat himself up slowly and tried to breathe deeply, hoping that would quell the nausea. But his stomach was audibly churning up a storm. His palms began sweating, and his mouth was beginning to over-salivate.

_No. Please, fucking no._

His body screamed at him to get to the bathroom. He hurriedly scrambled out of bed, so much so that he forgot his shades.

He fell to his hands and knees in front of the toilet, and retched into the porcelain bowl. His breathing was ragged, and he threw up a second time before he felt somewhat finished. He weakly flushed the toilet and closed the lid. Remembering his brother's advice from a past time he was sick, he took deep breaths and closed his eyes, sitting back on his heels.

Dave wished he had the energy to go get back in bed, but in his current condition, the walk seemed far too long. He briefly considered calling Bro and asking him to come home, but he knew he couldn't do that. He wasn't about to lose his dignity right along with his previous meal. Although he would never admit to it, he did wish he wasn't alone right now.

He curled up miserably on the floor next to the toilet, and moaned quietly in discomfort since there was no one around to see how uncool he was acting.

He must have fallen asleep on the bathroom floor, because next thing he knew, he awoke to Bro bending down over him, still in his gym clothes, and gently shaking him awake.

"Dave, man...can you wake up for me?" He murmured, rubbing his shoulder. Dave's sleep-heavy and disoriented mind tried to formulate the response any self-respecting cool guy would say in a situation like his own, but all he could manage was a small groan, and blinking his unshaded eyes, trying to adjust to the bright bathroom light. He didn't know if he'd ever been so relieved to see his brother before.

Bro continued to rub his arm, unsure of what else to do. "Did you throw up?" He whispered.

Dave didn't answer, he just curled himself tighter together. He didn't want to come right out and say yes, he'd look like such a _pussy._

Bro laid a hand on Dave's forehead, and he didn't bother to shrink away from it. Too tired. Hand felt cool, and cool felt nice.

"Dave. Seriously man. Did you get sick?"

He was quiet at first, but finally nodded slowly. Bro patted his shoulder.

"Do you need to any more?"

Dave thought for a moment, then became aware of the nausea he was experiencing.

"...ugghhh...yeah..." He managed to reply, his voice significantly raspy from disuse and rawness from his episode earlier.

Bro helped Dave off the hard tile that was making him sore all over, and into a kneeling position in front of the toilet. Bro sat down next to him.

A few minutes passed, and sure enough, Dave found himself throwing up again. Bro rubbed him between shoulder blades sympathetically as he vomited.

"It's cool, Dave, it's cool. Happens to everyone, even chill guys like you..." He reassured calmly. Dave tried hard to focus on the comforting hand on his back rather than the nausea and unreal burning in his throat. He went rigid when his stomach heaved again, but nothing came up. He desperately tried again.

Dave wanted to cry, but resisted the urge. He was miserable. Why wouldn't his body just get rid of what was in his stomach? Every inch of his body hurt, and with his current lack of energy, his body felt like it weighed a ton.

"Whoaaa, chill out...there's nothing else in your stomach. Deep breaths, man, close your eyes. I'm right here."

Dave did as he was told, and shut his eyes and began slowly taking breaths in and out. Soon, the urge to vomit seemed to dissolve.

"U-um...s-sorry you have to see this shit..." he croaked.

"'S okay, bro. You can't help it," Bro reassured him with an ironic smirk. "Don't be embarrassed. It's nasty and all, but it's natural."

The younger of the two nodded numbly, before he tiredly groaned a little and started to curl up on the floor again when he felt his brother gently stop him. He lifted him off the floor bridal style and carried him back to his room.

Bro laid Dave down on his bed and pulled his covers over him. Now that he could actually see his little brother's face, he noticed how pale he looked, except for his cheeks, which were flushed red with fever. His eyebrows were knit together in discomfort, sweat glistening on his forehead.

Dave desperately pulled the sheets close as a shiver raced down his spine, and he realized how cold he was. _'Fucking awesome,' _he thought. _'Now I have a fever too?'_

He sat down beside him on his bed and reached over to press a hand on his forehead. As suspected, he was very hot to the touch. Bro frowned.

"Shit, man...you're burning up. Do you, uh, need anything?"

He watched as the younger of the two slowly shook his head, shivering a little. He was appreciative that Bro got the message and laid a spare comforter over him.

"You can try medicine later, if you took it now it'd come right back up," He said. Dave nodded weakly.

"Dave, why didn't you call me and tell me you got sick? I would have come back here and helped a bro out, man," he asked, concerned.

He was quiet, then he finally answered. "'Cause 'm not a pussy..."

Bro sighed. "Fuck, man. I know that. But you need to tell me when you're sick, it's not like I'll think less of you for it. I mean...I always figure it out one way or another anyway."

It was true. For as long as Dave could remember, it was never a matter of Dave _telling _Bro he felt unwell, but rather Bro figuring it out. Dave very rarely got sick, but when he did, it was usually bad enough to warrant having to depend on Bro.

"Well, anyway, you need to sleep. Take a nap, okay? Trashcan's by your bed if you need to throw up. I'll be in and out to make sure you don't up and die on me. Just yell if you need somethin'," Bro said softly, and stood up, before patting Dave's shoulder and leaving the room.

…

Dave had been sleeping for about three hours when Bro decided he needed some medicine and a drink. He carried a bottle of Pepto-Bismol and a glass of ginger ale into Dave's dark room.

He set the bottles on his nightstand and sat on the edge of his bed, and rubbed his back, letting him know that he needed to wake up for a moment.

Dave opened his eyes and groaned a little, not particularly thrilled about being brought back to the reality of being sick.

"Hey little man...how you feeling?" He murmured.

Dave shrugged a little.

"Can you try some medicine and ginger ale?"

Dave's groggy mind slowly processed his question, and he hesitantly nodded. Bro carefully grasped his shoulders and sat him up, and supported his back with one arm while he held the glass for his little brother in another.

"Slow, little sips, man. Don't push yourself," He advised, and the youngest Strider did as he was told, and took a few tiny sips before pushing the glass away from his face. Bro seemed to understand.

Afterward, Bro handed him the small medicine cup filled with Pepto-Bismol. Dave gulped it down, and shuddered from the taste. He handed the cup back shakily. Bro set it back on it's place on the nightstand, and was surprised when his brother huddled up to his side, trying to take advantage of his body heat. Bro wrapped an arm around his shoulders and hugged him closer.

"You cold?" He asked, concerned. Dave nodded. "'n I can't fuckin' sleep...stomach's a-all pissed off..." Came the slurred reply.

"We could go chill in the living room. See what's on TV," Bro offered.

"...'kay."

Bro helped Dave to his feet, and put an arm around his shoulders. Dave lamely let his head rest against his brother's side, and trudged alongside him to the living room. Rain was heard overhead, pouring down on their apartment roof. He silently thanked the sun for not mocking him like an asshole when he was stuck inside laying around.

The two settled down on the couch as Bro laid a couple blankets over his brother. Dave flopped his head on his guardian's lap and curled up, shivering lightly.

"Christ, man. I've never seen you get cold like this. You must have one hell of a fucking bug."

"...Fuckin' hate being cold. Rather be hot."

"Same here, bro," Bro agreed, nodding his head. He clicked the TV on, and flipped around until he came across some shitty rap battle.

About twenty minutes passed, Dave's head laid on Bro's lap, slipping in and out of sleep, while Bro smirked ironically at the rap battle. Eventually, Dave managed to sit himself up a little.

"Fuck. Bro."

"Sup?"

"I think 'm gonna puke again."

"Shit." Bro responded. He'd hoped for his sake he was done with all that. "Alright, c'mon, man." He quickly pulled the small teen off the couch and hurriedly walked him to the bathroom.

Dave fell to his knees for the third time that day. Bro watched his little brother, and after a moment noticed how tense he was. It took a minute for the elder of the two to realize it, but Dave was fighting his body, and not allowing the offending substance to come back up.

"Man, just get it over with. If you're sick, you're sick. It's fine, bro," he murmured.

Dave had absolutely no desire for his throat to burn and his stomach to empty any more than it already had. He shook his head and clenched his jaw closed, determined not to vomit. Bro sighed, knowing sooner or later he'd have to let it come up.

The younger of the two moaned loudly and tightly gripped the sides of the toilet bowl with one hand, while the other clutched his middle, extremely uncomfortable from the waves of nausea. His stomach lurched, and he threw up before he could try to stop it.

Not able to control it anymore, tears spilled from Dave's eyes. The pain in his acid-burned throat was unbearable.

"Aw, Dave..." Bro murmured, and began running his comforting hand on his back. "Don't cry, man, alright? What hurts?"

Dave sniffled a couple times and quickly rubbed the tears off of his face, embarrassed by his own display of weakness. "Throat hurts l-like a bitch," he mumbled.

Bro stood up for a moment and got Dave a Dixie cup filled with cold water. He put it up to Dave's lips.

"Just take a sip or two, it'll help."

Dave gently grasped the cup and took a sip. He instantly felt a bit better when the water reduced the burning.

"I-I kinda wanna lay down, Bro.." Dave muttered after couple minutes, his voice marginally less croaky. Bro nodded and lifted the small blonde off the tile and back to his room. Bro laid him in bed again, and Dave was fighting sleepy waves as soon as his head touched the pillow. He closed his eyes and relaxed, leaving the work of taking his temperature to his guardian. Distantly, he heard Bro sigh, presumably about his temperature, but it didn't seem to register with him, or he just didn't care right then.

That last bout of vomiting had done it. He was out for hours on end. Bro would come in every so often to cool him down with a wet washcloth and to take his temperature, doing what he could to keep him comfortable and asleep.

He had just finished wiping his face and arms down with a cool cloth when he sat down on his little brother's bed, watching the slightly uneven rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, hoping for his sake that he would feel better when he awoke.

Seeing him in tears was never easy.

_Hope you liked that weird little attempt at sickstuck! I actually wrote, like, FIVE different versions of this with varied situations and ages, but this one was my favorite. I can post my alternate ones, though, if you guys wanted..? Let me know and I will. _

_Critiques, opinions, and even flames welcome! Thanks for reading._


	2. Alternate 1

**Okay, you guys wanted it so here it is! One of the Alternates (theres a few more, I'll post them once they're edited too) Sorry for the delay on posting this, but anyway here you go! **

Dave Strider sat in his math class, feeling lethargic and oddly uninterested in doodling his shitty comics in his notebook margins. He just felt like putting his head down and going to sleep, but he resisted the urge, and kept his cool, unreadable posture steady. He dreaded the fact that his day was just beginning. He closed his eyes, and was glad that his teacher couldn't see that from behind his tinted spectacles. He looked back down at the classwork he still needed to do, and reluctantly picked up his pencil and answered the equations without really putting any effort in.

He wasn't sure why he felt so tired. It had started when he'd woken up, and his body simply did not want to get out of bed. He'd managed to drag himself up and trudge to the kitchen for some cereal that he didn't even really want, but Bro had left out on the table for him before he left for work. He'd suffered through the bus ride to school and was managing through his first period, but he hoped he could remain awake for the entirety of the day.

As he sat through his teacher droning on about linear equations, he zoned out and realized he felt a dull sensation of nausea in the pit of his stomach. He relaxed in his seat and brought his head down to rest on his arms, willing the gradually intensifying sick feeling in the pit of his stomach to diminish. The class was supposed to be working individually now, but Dave just couldn't get himself to pick up a pencil and do his work. He was starting to feel like there was the possibility that he might throw up. He jolted slightly out of his daze when felt his teacher touched his shoulder.

"Dave. Is there a reason you're not completing the problem?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at him. He sat up slightly, trying to think of a good excuse quickly, but decided he should just be honest.

"Um," As he started to talk, something in his stomach shifted uncomfortably and he suddenly realized he needed to get out of there and soon. "I...don't feel well," he admitted hurriedly. How embarrassing...

"Well, go ahead to the nurse, hun. You're looking pretty pale, actually," she told him. He managed to stand himself up and give his teacher a brief nod as a thanks. He got onto his unsteady legs and was able to to discreetly slip out of the class without anyone noticing.

But that was actually the least of his concerns. He tried to walk as quickly as he could to the nurse's office, but he was already clutching his stomach and clenching his jaw. His stomach was sloshing unhappily as he tried to make his way to the nurse.

But, alas, only about ten feet from his destination, he doubled over as his body forced up the contents of his stomach, and he was unable to stop it in time. After losing it over the tile, he stood completely still, arms wrapped around his abdomen, staring at the mess on floor. The worst of it, however, was that he didn't feel finished at all.

A lady from inside the office came out to see what the source of the splattering noise was. She gasped a little at what she saw and went to Dave's side,

"Uh oh...Honey, come with me..." She murmured, and took him by the elbow. She led him into the nurse's office. "Are you going to get sick again?" she asked, looking a little concerned. Dave wordlessly nodded, and next thing he knew, he was kneeling over a toilet, vomiting up whatever his stomach had left in it from the first bout of sickness. He felt awful, and his stomach seemed to have an endless amount of things it needed to rid itself of.

After five minutes of vomiting with the nurse's assistant sitting behind him, he was finally, finally done. She helped him up on wobbly legs to the cot to lie down after he rinsed his mouth out.

Much to his embarrassment, she laid a sheet over him and gave him a reassuring half-smile.

"You want me to call your mom to come get you, sweetie?"

Dave reluctantly parted his lips to reply, all of his words seeming to stick clumsily in his mouth.

"don't have a mom..." he rasped.

"...well...Who takes care of you?"

"B-Bro...but he's at work."

"Well," she sighed, "We'll find someone. Until then, you just sleep here, and don't worry about any of this, honey."

Dave nodded, letting his eyes slip closed from behind the shades.

"Do you need anything else before I let you sleep?" she asked him quietly.

He shook his head, and listened to the door close behind her, before letting himself drift into an unsettled sleep.

* * * Bro sat at his desk, answering emails on his work computer. He was lucky to even have this job, but regretted how awfully bland it was. As a receptionist at a dentist's office, most of what he did was answer phones, emails, greet people who came into the office, set appointment dates, deal with insurance crap, and stock the waiting room with plenty of toothpaste pamphlets and various magazines. This particular office was actually pretty popular and large, so there was a few other receptionists besides him working there, one of which being his boss. He'd never gotten in trouble with her, he was a diligent worker by nature and, not only that, he did not want to lose his job anytime soon. He had a kid to feed.

He was oddly proud to say that he had never missed any days of work so far, and he'd had the job for almost eight months. He actually had some saved up, but never bothered to use them yet.

Once one email was answered, a lady and her daughter came to his desk to sign in. The little girl was pulling on her mother's hand, crying, clearly not into the idea of seeing the dentist. Bro smiled halfheartedly and handed her the clipboard and pen. She tried to sign the paper, but her daughter's cries were clearly making it difficult.

"Amelia, please. The dentist is not that bad. I'm sure this nice man could tell you," she comforted, and gave a slightly expecting glance at Bro.

The little brunette child stopped for a moment and looked up at him as well.

"Uhh, yeah, the dentist is real nice, kid. Might let you watch a movie while he cleans your teeth if you're quiet," he responded obligingly. At that, the little girl perked up a bit and went to go sit down quietly on a couch. Her mother signed the paper and handed Bro back the clipboard and pen before thanking him and going to sit with her daughter.

Bro sighed, and entered her name into his computer to mark her presence at the appointment. He was really glad he'd actually found a job that paid the bills, but wished it was a little less dull. Suddenly, to his surprise, his own cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He glanced at the door, and saw no signs of anyone coming in to sign in, so he slipped his phone out and answered it discreetly.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mr. Strider?"

Mister? Who could this be? "Uh yeah, that's me."

"Sorry to bother you sir, but I'm calling regarding your...brother? Is that correct?"

"Uh-huh..."

"Right, well...I'm afraid Dave isn't feeling very well. You need to arrange for him to be picked up."

Suddenly, Bro felt a little concerned. "Well...what's wrong with him?"

"He's thrown up a few times and has a fever."

"Oh...okay. I'll try to get off work. I should be there within an hour. I'll call if I something changes."

"Okay, please do. He'll just rest here until you can get him home."

"Alright." With that, Bro hung up and got out of his chair, and walked down to his boss's desk. He waited for her to finish up a phone call before saying anything.

"Hey, Teresa, sorry to bother you but I'm gonna have to leave early today, little bro got sick at school," he said sheepishly.

"He did? Well, I'll cover your work today. Go ahead."

"Thanks so much, ma'am. I'll be back at work as soon as I can."

"Not too soon, Strider. Make sure your brother is better before he goes back to school."

Bro nodded and smiled, hurrying out the door.

When Dave awoke again, it was to a strong hand gently jostling his shoulder. He groaned and blinked his eyes open to an unusually bright world, seeing that someone had removed his shades, and saw his big brother leaning over him, holding his backpack and jacket in his opposite arm. As relieved as he was to see his guardian...why was he here? He had to go to work, or he'd get fired...

"Heard you weren't feeling too hot, little man...you feel like going home?" Bro whispered, and laid his fingertips across his feverish forehead.

"...B-Bro? What are you doin' here? I thought you needed to work..." He rasped, his voice dry and crackly.

"Not if you're sick. I worked it out with my boss, man. Now come on, I went ahead and signed you out and the car's right out front," He murmured.

"'kay..." Dave managed to pull himself off the cot and get onto his wobbly legs. Bro draped his jacket over his shoulders before wrapping an arm around them to steady him, and he led him out to the car, where Dave reclined his seat and used his jacket as a blanket. Bro stole glances at him every so often to make sure he was holding up okay. They made it home with little incident aside from Dave grunting and clutching his stomach every now and then.

They made it to the parking lot of the apartment complex when Dave quietly let Bro know that he was feeling like he was going to throw up again.

"Alright, just try to hang in there until we get you to the bathroom, okay?" Bro asked as he walked him toward their building, keeping a steadying arm around his shoulder. Dave nodded.

One uncomfortable elevator ride and a wobbly few steps to their apartment later, Dave found himself once again sitting in front of a toilet, his head hovering above the bowl, awaiting the inevitable. He felt his stomach lurch and he threw up what little remained. Bro kept his hand on Dave's back firmly as he got sick.

He spit weakly and sat back once he knew it was over with. Bro helped him rinse out his mouth and walked him back to his room.

"Lay down for a little while and see how you do," he instructed gently. Dave just nodded and collapsed onto his bed.

So much more comfortable than that cot...

Bro pulled his blanket over him and ruffled his hair. "I hope you feel better when you wake up, little man."

Dave awoke again to his brother's gently jostling arm and groaned.

"Wake up, you need to have some food."

Dave didn't bother protesting, as much as he didn't want to eat. He struggled to sit himself up, and Bro handed him a bowl of chicken broth and set a glass of water and a few saltines on his nightstand. Dave didn't make any effort to eat the broth.

"Just try a little," his brother urged.

Reluctantly, Dave lifted up the spoon and managed to gulp down about half the soup, one of the saltines, and managed a couple sips of water. The food had helped a little, and his stomach didn't feel as upset. He sat back, and handed Bro his bowl, who put it down and pulled Dave's blankets back up for him.

"So...you didn't get sick in your classroom, did you?" Bro asked, more for conversation that anything else.

"No...the hallway floor.." he muttered, embarrassed of himself. "I couldn't make it to the nurse."

"Oh. Well, it isn t a big deal, happens to kids all the time. I'm sure you must be embarrassed, but...you wouldn't be the first. I remember when I was in like third grade, I puked all over my desk and lap. It was mortifying," he chuckled. "At least you got out before all those kids saw, bro, look at it that way."

Dave nodded. Talking to his brother made him feel better about the situation. Bro cleared away his dishes and pulled his blankets back up, suggesting he get some more rest. He decided he would do just that, since his stomach was settled for the time being.

He laid back against his pillows and closed his eyes as Bro left the room, and he slipped into blissful sleep.

* * *  
>Dave awoke again to a horrible hot and overwhelmingly nauseous feeling. His room was dim by this point, signaling the presence of evening. He desperately called his brother's name out as loud as he could manage. He took deep breathes, hoping he could calm the nausea if he tried hard enough. But next thing he knew, his body felt a rush of stifling heat and he vomited all over his comforter. It was even worse than it had been that morning. His stomach was violently trying to get rid of everything within it. He promptly felt another wave of nausea crash over him just as soon as one bout was over with, and he got sick all over himself again. He moaned loudly before managing to dry heave over the side of the bed.<p>

It was at that point that Bro got himself to the situation. He didn't waste any time, and was soon by Dave's side, a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Just relax..." he carefully comforted.

Dave sat back and tried to hide the hot tears that ran down his face. Not only did he feel worse than he had that morning, but now he was embarrassed, covered in his own sick, and he wouldn't have a place to sleep. He sat still, and watched with tired, tear-producing eyes as Bro calmly bent down and casually lifted him off the bed bridal-style to sit down on the floor by the trashcan. Bro lifted all the sheets, blankets, and pillowcases off the bed and left the room. He returned a minute later, and kneeled down next to Dave, who was still fighting tears and had both arms wrapped around his middle.

"Let's get you out of those clothes," he murmured, and helped his brother out of his shirt and jeans.

"Can you walk?" Bro asked, once Dave was stripped down to his boxers. Dave nodded, so the elder of the two carefully took his elbow and walked him to their bathroom. Bro got the shower going, and left the room long enough for Dave to get out of his underwear and behind the shower curtain before he came back in and waited for him to finish bathing himself.

Fifteen minutes later, Dave was showered and in clean sweatpants and a t-shirt. Bro let him lay on his bed, the couch, until his laundry was done. He flipped on the TV and put in a movie he'd found under the couch to get Dave's mind off of everything. He seemed better once he was clean and back to resting.

"Well," Bro said nonchalantly, "On the bright side, you get another day off of school tomorrow."

Dave nodded, but adverted his eyes downward and said nothing else. Bro raised a questioning eyebrow. "What, is there something wrong?" Dave unconvincingly shook his head in response.

Obviously, he wasn't buying that. "Don't lie to me, man. What's the deal."

Dave sighed. "Well..don't you have to go to work tomorrow?" Guilt was written in his tone.

"Look, lil' man. I'm gonna work with my boss and get some time off so I can stay here while you're sick. You should be feeling much better by the end of the day tomorrow, anyway," Bro assured him, before reaching over to touch his forehead. "But damn, this is one hell of a fever you're rocking."

Dave nodded, and snuggled deeper into his blankets with a shiver.

"You want some medicine?" Bro offered, seeing that he looked uncomfortable. Dave hesitated a moment before nodding again. Bro went to the kitchen and got out a fever reducer pill and a bottle cap full of nausea relief medicine. He also got a cup of water, and brought everything out to the couch. He helped prop Dave up a little and handed him the pill and water. He calmly took it, trying to consume as little water as possible. Then he moved on to the nausea medicine. The artificial cherry goop didn't seem too bad in comparison to the bitter bile taste that had lingered in his mouth for most of the day. Dave felt better than he had earlier by far, but he wasn't exactly sure how long that would last. Bro told him to try and nap while his sheets were being washed, so he closed his eyes and laid back, deciding to follow his advice.

* * *  
>Dave woke up and found himself groaning in discomfort, and sat himself up, that god-awful and all-too-familiar feeling resurfacing in his belly.<p>

"Bro."

"Sup?"

"Not feeling good..." He croaked hurriedly, feeling panicked.

Bro snatched up the plastic wastebasket from the corner and held it under Dave's chin just in time for him to puke into it again promptly, followed by a single dry heave and some spitting to rid his mouth of the taste.

The elder of the two pulled the container back from his face once he seemed done, and had a genuine look of concern on his face, visible even with the shades.

Dave flopped back down, drained of energy. He was so sick of throwing up. He knew that it wasn't something he could help and that dealing with vomit was part of a parent's job description, but that didn't stop him from feeling a little bad that Bro had to spend his night like this. Sitting in a chair by your sleeping, sick younger brother and holding wastebaskets for them to vomit into now and then couldn't have been fun. Dave knew most parents and older siblings were often annoyed by their children, and wished they were something better. Dave strived to be the exception, to make his brother think that he was different, that he was actually cool. And when he fell apart like this, he couldn't help but feel like a total annoyance.

Still, when Bro laid a cool hand on his forehead, he leaned into the touch helplessly, and let out a whimper. He'd stopped trying to act cool long ago. After a few moments, Bro's voice broke the silence.

"You alright?"

Dave shrugged weakly, feeling both groggy and a childlike sense of clinginess to his brother. Having a big brother to watch over him and make sure he was comfortable made sickness only half as awful. His calmness during any situation when Dave was ill was one of great comfort. Even in situations as gross and frustrating as dealing with a kid sick enough to vomit all over himself, Bro seemed calm, collected, and his normal tough-love attitude softened just enough to comfort Dave without fussing too much.

"How 'bout we get you back in your bed? It's washed and clean now, you'll be more comfortable," Bro offered. Dave nodded and let himself be helped up from the couch, and be guided slowly, oh so slowly, back to his room. He was laid down and had the blankets pulled over his trembling form.

"Alright. I hate doing this to you, but I need you to have a little Gatorade or something. Okay? Can't have you ending up in the emergency room for dehydration if it can be helped," Bro said.

Dave wanted to go along with it, he really did, but he couldn't. He just couldn't bear the thought of any more vomiting.

"N-No..." he spluttered, feeling pathetic. "I can't...I'll just throw up again and I don't want to any more. I hate throwing up and I don't ever want to eat again," he blubbered weakly, hot tears of frustration prickling at the corners of his eyes. He felt like a little kid, crying like this over something so little, but this flu was really messing with his emotions. He was thankful to whatever god was up there that only Bro was around to see this. He was the only person Dave wasn't really afraid to show emotion and weakness around.

"Well okay man. I won't force you. Tell you what, just rest for like half an hour, and then you're having something to drink," He decided firmly. Dave decided not to press his luck and just nodded, and settled for pulling his blankets tighter around his body and curling up tight to spread body heat.

It seemed like Dave had only blinked when he felt Bro's hand rubbing his back to wake him up. He groaned and rolled over to face him. Peering through bleary eyes, he noticed a glass filled about halfway with liquid in his brother's other hand, a straw poking out of the top and leaning against the rim.

"C'mon, Dave, I gave you a whole forty-five minutes to sleep. Now sit up, you need to drink this."

Reluctantly, the kid followed orders and sat up as best he could, the room spinning slightly. The glass was pushed into his hands and Bro's hand touched his forehead for what seemed like the fiftieth time that day. Dave put his lips around the straw, and took a teeny sip. He realized that the beverage he'd been given was apple juice, and although it was a small gesture, it really meant a lot to him. He'd gone out of his way to get his favorite for him when he was feeling so crappy, which actually made him feel a teeny bit better all by itself.

"Little sips, bro. Take all the time you need."

Dave did as he was told, and managed to drink all of what he had been given. For the first time in a few hours, he actually felt pretty comfortable and replenished.

"Think it'll stay down?" Came his brother's inquiry once he d taken his empty glass away.

"Y-yeah, it actually really did make me feel better," He murmured in response, thankful his nausea had faded some.

"Glad to hear it, lil bro. I think you re starting to improve; your fever isn t as crazy-hot as it was. Still there, no doubt, but better," Bro replied.

Dave nodded, and slid back down into bed. "What time is it, Bro?" He asked drowsily. Being sick had drained just about every ounce of energy he had.

"Bout 2 A.M. Why?"

"Jus' wondering..." He murmured in response.

"Well, go ahead to sleep before you pass out. I'll leave a wastebasket right by your bed if you get sick again, and I'll be in and out to check on you," Bro said, reaching over to pull his little bro's blankets up some and ruffle his hair. Dave didn't hesitate to do as he was told, and curled up, feeling safe and a little less sick than before.

When Dave awoke again the next morning, it was on his own terms for once, not because he needed to vomit or because Bro was waking him, but because he felt thirsty and really needed to use the bathroom.

As embarrassing as it was, he wasn't sure if he was comfortable walking on his own yet. While he felt much better now than he had yesterday by miles, he was still pretty dizzy.

"H-hey Bro?" He called out, propping himself up on his elbows.

After a minute, Bro appeared at his doorway in his ironic Hello Kitty pajama bottoms and a t-shirt.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, but I really gotta use the bathroom," He responded. Bro understood, and went to help him out of bed and down the hall quickly to their bathroom. After he was done, Bro walked him back, and Dave crawled in bed again.

"Does your stomach feel any better?" Bro asked him, and he nodded in response.

"It's just kinda sore, that's all," He replied. "Bro, can I have a drink?"

"Yeah, of course. How about something to eat too?" Bro offered, standing up from the edge of Dave's bed. The younger of the two nodded with slight hesitation. Bro disappeared down the hallway, and Dave reached to his bedside to grab his phone. He noticed he had a few new text messages, and opened them.

Two from John, one from Rose, and one from Jade. He couldn't help but smile a little.

Dave read each of John's first. "Dude, Dave, get online! I have some videos and things to show you!" and "You okay? This is like the first time ever you've forgotten to get online at our usual time!" Dave felt just a tad guilty. He moved on to Rose's. "Strider, I believe you should consider accessing Pesterchum." Typical Rose text, speaking like she was introducing the president or something. Onward to Jade's message. "hi dave! 33 where are you? you need to get online, bro! hehe xoxo" Dave considered answering them all now and letting them know he'd been sick, but he didn t know how well his fingers would work when it came to typing, and they were all probably in school. He'd tell them later.

It wasn't too much longer until Bro carried in a plate and glass, once again with a straw in it. He handed Dave the glass, who eagerly drank the apple juice within. Once that was finished, Bro passed him a plate with a piece of plain toast, a few saltines, and a couple slices of apple. He was still feeling pretty wary about food.

"C'mon, Dave. You should be just fine. You kept that whole glass of apple juice down last night. "This stuff is all pretty easy to digest," He encouraged, and as a result managed to get his brother to pick up the toast and eat almost the entire thing, and then a slice of apple, followed by the saltines. The food really did settle his stomach, he felt much more comfortable after having a bit to eat.

Once he was done, Bro took his plate and glass and put them off to the side before feeling his forehead again.

"Fever's not as bad as it was," Bro commented, pulling his hand back. "You still need some rest."

Dave had been planning doing just that. While his stomach itself felt a lot better, his abdominal muscles were still sore from all the vomiting he'd done the day before, and some TV and rest really sounded good to him.

"Can I lay on the couch and watch TV?" He asked.

Sure, Bro replied and helped him out of bed and down the hall to the couch, and helped him get comfortable before handing him the remote.

"I'm gonna be on the computer in the other room, just call me if you need anything," Bro told him after laying a blanket over him. Dave nodded, and flipped on the TV till he found something he could live with.

Bro had finished some work-related emails and other things after about two hours when he walked back in the living room to check on Dave. He was asleep, which wasn't surprising, so Bro quietly went over and turned the TV off, brushing his fingers over his forehead. He still had a fever he hadn't shook yet.

The elder of the two left him on the couch to sleep, hoping he'd stay that way for at least another hour or so.

...

Dave woke up again, a little confused. He had no memory of ever falling asleep, but his throat felt so dry that it was painful.

"Hey Bro?" He managed to get out, his voice extremely raspy. His brother just sort of appeared behind him.

"You're not gonna puke, are you?" He asked quickly.

"No...but I really need a drink," He responded.

"Oh, well, that's a relief. Lemme get that for you," He said before disappearing again into the kitchen, and returning a few moments later with a bottle of apple juice. Dave took it and sucked down the fluid, terribly thirsty. Once he was done, he again handed Bro the empty container and snuggled down into his blanket.

"How ya feelin after your nap, little man?" Bro asked.

"A lil better," He replied. Am I going to school tomorrow?

"Nah, I think I oughta keep you home one more day."

Dave really wasn't either pleased or disappointed by his answer, he'd expected that Bro would say that. He had this thing where Dave wasn't allowed to go back to school after being sick until he'd been fever-free for a few hours.

"...Kay. Could you get me my phone from my room?" The blonde thirteen-year-old asked. His bro nodded and went to get it and brought it back.

After thanking him, Dave checked Pesterchum, and saw that John was online. He decided he'd explain yesterday.

**- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering ectoBiologist [EB] -**

TG: hey

TG: sorry i was sorta gone yesterday

EB: its fine, where were you?

TG: fuckin sick

TG: yesterday was the worst day of my life

EB: thats no fun! :(

TG: tell me about it bro

TG: i puked in my schools hallway

TG: and then bro had to drag his ass to my school

TG: and pick up my nauseated ass

TG: it was embarrassing as hell

EB: was bro chill about the whole thing?

TG: yeah

TG: he wasnt mad at me or anything

TG: in fact hes been really nice

EB: parents are always nicer when you're sick!

TG: its true man

EB: well did you go to school today?

TG: no

TG: i was puking all night

TG: poor bro

TG: having to deal with that

EB: i would NOT wanna catch what you have

EB: that sounds awful

TG: ugh

TG: it was

EB: hope you feel better soon!

TG: fuck

TG: me too

TG: well im gonna go tell rose and jade

TG: cuz they were wondering too

EB: okay! later.

**- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering ectoBiologist [EB] -**

Dave opened up a new chat window to talk to Jade.

**- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering gardenGnostic [GG] -**

TG: hey

TG: sorry for not being on yesterday

GG: you should be! hehe, we were kinda bored without you and you silly raps!

TG: theyre not silly theyre ironic

TG: but yeah

GG: whaaatever! :P where were you, coolkid?

TG: oh you know just

TG: casually vomiting everywhere

TG: including in my fucking school

GG: aww poor dave! :((

GG: tummy viruses suck big time!

GG: are you still sick?

TG: kinda sorta

TG: not really

TG: throwing up all night got most of it out of my system

GG: aww!

GG: that must ve been rough:((

GG: were you alone the whole time?

TG: no bro helped me out

TG: i was a fuckin mess

GG: well get lots of sleep and take medicine! then you ll be back to being chill!

TG: yeah

TG: good idea

TG: i already told john everything but im gonna tell rose

TG: she texted me yesterday asking where i was

TG: i should probably answer

GG: yeah ok! talk to you later!

TG: peace

GG: 3333

**- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering gardenGnostic [GG] -**

Dave smiled as he re-read his and Jade s conversation. She was a good person to talk to. He figured he better let Rose know, too, and braced himself for a bunch of replies that would practically require a dictionary to understand.

**- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] -**

TG: hey

TT: Hello, Strider.

TG: uh like

TG: sorry for not being on yesterday

TG: did anything important happen

TT: No, nothing of any dire importance.

TG: alright cool

TT: But in any event, may I ask where you were yesterday?

TG: i got sick

TG: stomach bug

TG: sorry about that

TT: How unpleasant, are you well now?

TG: i guess

TT: Not a very convincing response.

TT: Additionally, it is not of any fault of yours for being ill.

TT: An apology is not necessary.

TG: yeah i guess youre right

TG: pray to god you don't catch it

TT: I will most certainly take whatever precautions I can in order to prevent catching an ailment of a similar nature, I can assure you.

TT: Are you possibly exaggerating it a bit?

TT: Or was it really that severe?

TG: dude rose

TG: i puked in the school hallway for christs sake

TG: bro had to take me home from school and leave work

TG: and i was up almost all night last night

TG: fuckin puking and having my forehead felt every five minutes

TG: you don t fuckin want this rose

TT: Point made, Strider. I must say that I do feel some sympathy for you, as I am aware of the discomfort that comes along with gastroenteritis.

TT: Don't feel any guilt for not getting online yesterday, its better that you took care of your personal needs.

TG: yeah

TG: anyway im gonna try to get a nap

TT: Good idea, Strider. I sincerely hope you feel better when you awaken.

TG: thanks

TG: peace

TT: Have a nice nap.

**- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] -**

Dave hadn't told a lie, he really did sorta feel like laying down and watching TV again. He flipped it on using the remote. After some sleep, food, and another day to recover, he'd be right back on schedule.

He had to say, it'd been nice to have his friends and especially big brother show they cared about him, whether through words or by the very action of taking care of him.

He'd have to find a way to thank them all later.


	3. Alternate 2

Dave sighed as he shut the front door to his shitty apartment and dropped his backpack on the ground. Bro wasn't home yet, thankfully, and wouldn't be for a couple more hours. This was good news, because he knew if his brother were here he'd want to strife, but Dave just wasn't feeling up to such an activity.

He'd started feeling kinda sick after eating lunch earlier. He'd been able to make it through the rest of the school day and bus ride home, but he was feeling really ready to lay down for a little while, maybe get a nap in. Surely he'd feel much better if he got some rest.

He wasn't entirely sure of _how _exactly he felt sick, it was mostly just fatigue and feeling, just..._weird. _

He made for the couch, and slipped his sneakers off, collapsing into soft bliss. His legs had ached from walking up all those damn stairs, and finally laying down felt incredible.

Yeah. A nap and he'd be perfectly okay.

…

Dave felt himself jolt awake at the sound of the door opening and his brother calling "Wassup, Lil Bro?"

In an effort not to look uncool, he sat himself up and gave his brother a nod. Unfortunately, he really wasn't feeling that much better. His insides still felt kinda...shaky. And now he had a headache and even felt sorta weak.

"What're you doing on the couch?" Dirk inquired, quirking an eyebrow at him from beneath the shades.

"What. Nothing. Just chillin', man." He answered quickly.

"Oh. Well alright, bro. Anyway, how 'bout pizza and tacos for dinner? Eh? I'm hungry as fuck, dunno about you."

Dave _really _didn't like the sound of pizza and tacos right then. But his brother knew how much he loved both foods, and would certainly suspect something if he turned them down. Not to mention, it was rare that he was offered both of his favorite foods in one night. He nodded.

"Yeah, man, sounds good," He replied nonchalantly, hoping his lack of enthusiasm would be perceived as being cool.

"Alright, awesome. It's a Friday night and everything, we should chill and watch some movies too. We haven't done shit like that in awhile," Dirk added.

Dave just nodded, really hoping this weird sick feeling would diminish so he could enjoy such an awesome-sounding night.

…

Dirk handed his little brother a plate with two tacos, two slices of extra-greasy cheese pizza, some chips, and a drink. Dave smiled halfheartedly and began eating while his brother settled down next to him on the couch, and flicked on that new 'Karate Kid' movie. They'd seen the old one more times than they could count, and were curious about the remake.

Dave was all too aware of how the food in his stomach was settling. It felt as though there were a big, greasy rock at the base of his stomach. He really didn't feel like going through the uncoolness of telling his bro he didn't feel well or anything though, and ate all of his food.

Although he wasn't feeling very good and was working hard to hide that fact, it was still very nice to spend time with Dirk. He'd been so busy at work lately they'd barely even uttered a word to each other for the past two weeks.

They got through their first movie, and were both pleasantly surprised by how good it was. They'd expected total shit.

Dave had felt okay enough up to that point to mostly ignore the discomfort in his tummy and enjoy himself. But as Dirk started up The Gremlins, he really started to feel bad.

He bit back a whine of anxiety and discomfort when he started to feel overheated and nauseous. He really felt like he might throw up. He needed to get out of there somehow, but at the same time he was afraid of moving. If he did, the motion might stir up his stomach and he might puke on the floor.

"Are you okay?" A voice suddenly asked him. He hadn't even noticed that the movie had been paused, and Dirk was looking at him, slight concern visible on his face. As much as Dave hated it, he realized that he would only dig himself deeper if he lied. It was better to just let Bro help him.

He shook his head.

"What's wrong, lil' bro?"

"I feel like I'm gonna throw up," He blurted out, his voice cracking.

"Uh oh. C'mon," He murmured, calm as ever. Dirk wrapped his arm around Dave's shoulder, and helped him stand up. He wasted no time walking his little brother, who was miserably staring at the ground and clutching his stomach, to a toilet.

Once they were in the bathroom, Dave fell to his knees and retched. Dirk kneeled on the floor behind his little brother and rubbed circles into his back. Poor kid.

Dave was miserable. His stomach was gurgling painfully and roaring beneath his flesh as he vomited. He was only throwing up for a few minutes, but it felt like _hours. _His only comfort was Bro behind him, rubbing his back and making sure his hair wasn't getting caught up in the mess.

Once he was done he couldn't help but let some tears fall. His time with his brother watching movies had been wrecked and his stomach felt awful and he was so _tired _and now his throat was stinging and he felt so _weak. _

"Don't cry, okay? I bet getting in bed and laying down sounds good. How about it?" Dirk asked, a reassuring smile just ever-so-slightly visible on his face.

Once Dave was into some clothes suitable for sleeping, Bro helped him into bed and got him a glass of water.

"You think you just ate too much?" Bro asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I...no. I felt sick all day at school too," He replied.

"Hm," Dirk murmured, and reached out to touch his forehead. "Yeah, you're a little feverish. What exactly hurts?"

"Aside from being nauseous, I'm just sorta dizzy and my body hurts all over."

"Mm. Do you think you're done throwin' up for a little while, though?"

"Mhm."

"Good," Bro sighed. "I'll bring a trashcan or something in a little later, just in case."

Dave nodded, and nestled into his blankets.

"But you coulda told me you weren't feeling very good. I would've gotten you some soup or something that would've been easy on your stomach."

"...Sorry..."

"No need to apologize. Just keep that in mind, lil bro. Anyway, though, I hope you sleep well. Just gimme a yell if you need anything at all," Dirk murmured, standing up and turning off Dave's lights.

"Love you, kid. Hope you feel better tomorrow."


End file.
